Thief
by Nighty929
Summary: A long and hopefully good retelling of season 2 from the eyes of Alaya Robbins, a new mutant who is also Lance's best friend. She's in love with Pietro and may have a crush on Kurt.
1. Realization

Well, this is my first posted story. It takes place in the second season of X-Men Evolution. Please take note that I do not own the X-Men, but Alaya Robbins is not created by Marvel, I created her.

……..

Pietro Maximoff is the cutest guy in the whole world, I thought. No, not the world… the UNIVERSE.

History was always so boring for me before he transferred to Bayville high. He had he cutest smile that he was always flashing and his eyes were the same color as the sky… a deep, beautiful azure blue. But it was his hair that I loved the most, because it was silver, shiny, pretty silver that was perfect all the time. I liked him… scratch that, I LOVED him. So many times I would glance at him while the teacher droned on about something boring like WWII, and there he would be, paying attention to the window, like he longed to be free. Then Lance, my best friend, would poke me in the ribs and I would jump and he would cackle ever so evilly at my crush. My love. My….

The bell rang that Tuesday a bit earlier than usual, for an assembly was planned to greet the new PRINCIPAL KELLEY, (DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNN!!!) because the previous Dictator Darkholme left without forwarding address. Lance and I had a theory that Darkholme was an evil witch and she flew off on an uncontrollable broomstick and now she is stuck in a tree with a few cows in Kansas somewhere (Toto, oh Toto! I don't think we're in Bayville anymore!!!). Though I continued thinking Lance knew a bit more than he was letting on to me…

"Yo, Alaya," Lance said, pokeing me again. He just loved doing that, I thought. "You aren't paying attention. I'm gonna be over there with the guys."

He pointed near the doors of the auditorium, where Freddie Dukes, Todd Tolanski (another good friend of mine), and GASP PIETRO were waiting.

"Oh- okay," I said, a bit shakily, and after being picked on unmercifully for a few minutes, I made my way up to the top seats and sat down a few feet away from a couple of boys who I thought were called Kurt Wagner and Evan Daniels, but I wasn't really sure. Somehow I knew… Then, I lost it, a thought about a watch trailing off into the infinite void of my mind, for I was staring at Pietro, Dream of Dreams.

Then, a blur of images blasted through my head, words, voices, so confusing! I felt a pain in my head like never I had felt before, and I tasted blood- my nose was bleeding. I felt things moving in and out of my head, as though all the voices were literally coming in through one ear and exiting the other.

_"Some test today, huh?" "Too many colors, which one should I pick?" "Chocolate of Vanilla ice cream for the party?" "Unglablich! There he goes again. Like that dented Verdamte beetle in that movie Scott showed me…" _

I nearly screamed. How could so many people sound so close? I got up and shoved my way down to the floor and left. The last thing I heard as the auditorium doors slammed shut behind me was Lance's voice- "Alaya! Alaya, where are you going?!"

At lunch that day I felt a bit better. At least voices weren't passing through my head at top speed anymore. I picked at my food and suddenly realized Lance was trying to get my attention.

"Alaya, why'd you run off earlier? You missed the coolest show. The scoreboard, like, almost fell on the principal."

"I had a headache," I said. Just a little fib.

"It looked like a lot more than a headache," Lance muttered. "C'mon, tell me what's wrong, Alaya. I'm your friend." He looked genuinely concerned, and I opened my mouth to tell him maybe a bit of my confusion when Pietro walked over.

"Mind if I sit here?" He said, sitting without waiting for an answer. I didn't mind. Scratch that. I DEFINITELY minded. Omigosh, Pietro is sitting RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! My head screamed.

Lance must have seen me turn beet red, because he said what I couldn't say. "No, I don't mind, but Alaya was just leaving. She has to get to the library to work on the history report."

I nodded and stood, picking up my tray.

"Looking good today, Alaya," Pietro called after me. I decided to faint after I left his sight to save me the embarrassment. I made my way outside and dumped my food into the garbage can, blushing furiously. I knew I had made a complete and total fool of myself. I wanted to just sink through the floor and die forever. Then it happened again as I knocked my shoulder into another girl, the same one I had knocked in the auditorium on my way up the stairs, Jean. As soon as she was done scowling at me and asking what my problem was, she left with a flip of her red hair. Boy was SHE in a bad mood. Maybe it had something to do with all of those exams she has to take today.

Hold up—how did I know that?

I rushed to the bathroom and looked in a mirror. My nose was bloody again, and my normally brown hair had a long, silvery white portion that stood out amazingly brightly. My eyes, normally blue, were green, slowly fading back to their original color.

Confirmed. Alaya Robins- Teenage Monster.


	2. Confusion

**Thief Part Two: Confusion, in which Alaya doesn't know which way is up.**

**Yo Alaya: Meet me at Lookout point. WE MUST TALK!!!! Will you be there? I want to know what's wrong. Signed Your Friend LANCE**

I looked at the note Lance had passed me in slight confusion. Everything in my head was a jumbled mess. I had memories that weren't mine, of a little red haired girl with a constant headache and a boy I thought I recognized from the school named Scott. I finally scribbled my answer and tossed it back to him.

**Why should I go to lookout point to meet you, Rock Tumbler? I wasn't aware we were friends. Buzz off, and leave us alone.**

Lance glanced over at me with a shocked look and scribbled furiously onto the paper, confusing the heck out of me a lot more. Then he passed the paper back with a somewhat hurt face.

**Well, I thought we were friends. What the heck is wrong with you, Alaya? Since when do you call me that? ARE YOU OKAY?! **

I stared at his response for a long while, and then I slowly moved my eyes back to what I wrote. I didn't remember writing it, and I had no idea what it meant. "Rock Tumbler"? "I wasn't aware we were friends"?

I stood and asked for a pass to the bathroom. Huxley gave me the pass and I left, looking back at Lance, who still looked hurt. I walked down the hall and right past the bathroom. I'd had enough, and I was going home.

I barely remember getting home and fumbling for the keys to my front door. I couldn't recognize my own house, and I almost walked right past it, headed for the bus stop. My keys were a blur, my memories were a blur, and everything was a hopeless fog. Finally I got the front door open and I rushed to the kitchen, forgetting to close the door behind me. I screamed when I walked right into a strange woman with several books in her hand. "Honey, what happened to your hair?" She asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

I shoved past her and sobbed, running into the hallway and to my bedroom, slamming and locking my door behind me. I fell onto my bed and fell unconscious, still thinking about Lance's hurt expression and that red haired girl.

"Alaya, sweetheart…come out now. It's time for dinner."

I came to my senses suddenly as mom knocked on my door. I was on the floor, wrapped in my blankets in a very uncomfortable curl. It took a minute to figure out where I was. Right. I went home. Didn't feel well. Hair turning white prematurely.

I stood and tripped on my blankets, twisted so firmly around me I couldn't move. Flat on my face, I muttered every curse I could think of. Sure, something horrible was happening to me, but this was just embarrassing. When did I lose my ability to not make a fool of myself.

My phone rang, causing me to jump up and trip again. At least I managed to grab the phone before I fell. I answered it and struggled to put it to my ear. "He-hello?"

"Alaya?" It was Lance. "I couldn't find you after class. You okay?"

"Um… uh-huh. I'm fine, Lance. Really. I just didn't feel well. Kinda nauseous and I had this killer headache. How are you?"

"Very funny. What's wrong, Lai? You tell me everything, right? And I tell you everything, it's our deal."

"Right, like when you told me about your crush on Kitty Pryde?" I tried to laugh, keep it light. Maybe if I embarrassed him enough he would forget about my issues.

"uh.. yeah, but what—"

" And the time you told me about cheating in Computer class to impress Ms. White in third grade?"

"Huh?"

"And that time you forgot your lines before the class play in first grade?"

"Alaya. Stop. I am not going to fall for that this time. What. Is. Wrong?"

I paused and stared at my ceiling. I had long since stopped struggleimg with my blanket and started playing with my silvery white streak in my hair. "Lance, I can't. You… you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Sure I would. Try me." Lance sounded upset and concerned. "I'm your best friend, Alaya. Just tell me what's wrong."

I was quiet for a minute, looking at a picture of me and Lance on my desk. Then I sighed. "You gotta promise not to tell anybody."

"Sure."

"You have to swear!" I pulled myself out of my blankets and stood up.

"Fine, fine! I Promise."

"Or else I tell everyone how you got your underwear stuck in—"

"Okay, I swear!!" He said quickly. "I swear. Now tell me."

I breathed a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Something's happening to me, Lance. Something really bad and weird and scary."

"Yeah, been there, done that."

"Not like this, Man."

"Sure I have."

I groaned. "Stay serious, Lance."

Mom knocked again. "Alaya! Get off the phone and get to the table!"

"I- um, I'll call you back, Lance. I'm sorry, Mom is calling me for dinner and you know how she gets."

"But Lai—"

I hung up and sighed. Thanks mom, I thought. Thank you so much.

I didn't want to lose Lance, the only person in the whole world who ever understood me. I just didn't know if he would understand me now that I was a freak.


	3. Secrets

**X-Men "THEIF": Part Three, Secrets**

Mom kept me home from school the next day. I had a horrible fever and a wretched cough, both faked, of course. I didn't want to face Lance yet, and I wasn't in the mood to think about Pietro or my problem. Besides, I wanted to know Lance was still my friend for just a little while longer before I had to tell him what was wrong with me. There was no way he would still be my friend after he found out about it. Sure, he was cool and all, but a human being could only tolerate so much before they simply can't accept you as a person. I wouldn't accept me as a person, so how could I expect Lance to?

The phone rang all morning. Message 1: "Hey, Alaya… It's, uh, me. Lance. Best friends since six-thirty bedtimes? Listen, it's morning and you haven't called me back… I just assumed that when you said you'd call me back you meant right after dinner, but, uh, I guess… not. Well, see you in class, I guess. … bye." Message 2: "Hey, you aren't at school. Are you okay? I mean, should I be getting flowers and soup for you or something? By the way… this is Lance. The one who is worried about you." Message 3: "Oh, come on, Alaya; pick up your stupid phone! What is your _problem_, man?!" Message 4: "Um, hi. This is, uh, Kurt Wagner? …from math class…? Yeah, we don't usually interact, but I got this number from one of your friends, and the teacher asked me to tell you that the math homework is page 60, questions 4 through 17…? Okay? Okay."

And so on and so forth.

It was around five when Mom came home from work. She immediately came in to check on me. Or so I thought.

"Alaya, I am ex_tremely_ disappointed in you. I didn't want to lecture you when you weren't feeling well, but coming home early without telling a teacher or calling me? Dying your hair? What brought this behavior on?"

"I didn't dye my—"

"Don't try to worm your way out of this conversation with excuses and lies, young lady! Do you expect me to believe that you dyed your hair _by mistake_? That your friend—Lance, is it?—dyed your hair against your will? You came home early yesterday by accident, right? Well, I've heard enough 'I didn't mean to' out of you to last two lifetimes. You are guh-ROUNDED. Do I make myself clear?"

I gaped at my mother in frozen shock. Never before had she so exploded at me the way she had just done. Never before had she yelled at me. Never before had she grounded me. Hell, I wasn't even sure if she knew what a grounding _was_ until just then.

"I said do I make myself _clear_, Alaya Justine?"

I continued to gawk. What could I say to her? 'Hey mom, I'm a freak whose hair spontaneously changed color and can read minds when I bump into people'?

She would probably be more likely to believe that pink elephants with purple polka dots were falling out of a hole in the sky made by alien rabbit robots.

I had tears in my eyes for only a second. Then I looked up at her and said, "I'm sorry mom. You're right, my behavior has been terrible. I'm really really sorry."

She softened a bit and let a small smile on. "Okay, as long as you understand. I am willing to let you use your phone and your computer, but I want you home right after school and I will be dropping you off in the mornings for two weeks." She pinched my cheek. "Get some more rest, sweetie."

I stared at her as she left the room. She must have snapped under the pressure, because that had to have been the weirdest thing I had ever experienced.

Except my own weirdness, of course.

When the phone rang at four thirty in the morning, I was too groggy to think about not picking it up. "Hello?" I mumbled.

"Aw, man, Alaya, did I wake you up?" It was Lance. Good old jerk.

"Lance. It is FOUR THIRTY A.M. Of _course_ you woke me up! Why would I be awake at four thirty in the morning? Why are _you_ awake at four thirty in the morning?"

"Well, you had plenty of opportunities to pick up the phone all day yesterday. Maybe I'm awake at four thirty in the morning because I'm worried about you. Did you ever think about _that_?"

I stared at my hand for a while, silent. _I_ had been the jerk. He really had every right to be upset.

"Hello? Lai?"

I couldn't talk. What I really wanted to do was burst into tears and spill my guts to him. He had to understand. He _had_ to.

But he never would understand, no matter how much I wanted him to. Neither would anyone else. So I couldn't tell anybody, not even Lance.

"I'm sorry…" I said painfully as I hung up the phone. I tried not to cry.

Need I say that I failed?

School the next day was hell. I spent most of my morning trying to dodge Lance. But it wasn't Lance that tried to talk to me. It was Kurt Wagner, the boy who called me to give me a math assignment.

I was sitting at an empty table during lunch when he walked over and sat next to me. I tried to scare him away by glaring at him, but he just grinned at me. Then (THE NERVE!) he pulled out his math book and a sheet of paper. "Did you do the math homework?" He asked in what I assumed was a charming voice.

"Yeah…" I said. "Why?"

"I didn't, so can I copy yours?"

"No!" I practically yelled into his ear.

He flinched, too much to be a real reaction, and put a hand to his ear. I thought maybe I had hurt his feelings, so I softened up a little. "Sorry… I don't like cheating. Besides, I probably got 'em all wrong anyway, you don't want to copy mine."

He was still holding his ear and scrunching up his face like I had just hit him. Was he just being overly dramatic?

"Um… are you okay?" I asked softly. I reached out to touch the hand over his ear and he yanked away so quickly he almost fell out of his chair. Then he just got up and ran off.

I stared after him and watched as he sat next to a girl with brown hair, I thought her name was kitty. She put an arm around his shoulder and rubbed his ear lightly. I looked back at my food, wondering how I had hurt him. Maybe he had an ear infection or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

But somehow I wasn't so sure. He had acted just like me when my mind went wacko with voices, and he ran off without explanation. Maybe, I thought, Maybe he's like me, a freak.

I had strange dreams that night, dreams about being chased by mobs carrying torches and pitchforks. When I finally woke up at three in the morning I grabbed for the phone. I had to talk to _some_one. Where did that Kurt live? Even if I was wrong about him being another freak, he didn't seem like the kind of guy who would spread it around if I asked him not to.

Flipping through last year's Bayville High phone listing, I found the number to Xavier's School where he lived. The phone rang for a good three or four minutes before someone picked up. "Hello?" said the sleepy voice of Scott Summers, a boy I had seen hanging out with Kurt.

"Hi. Um… I am so sorry for calling this early, but, I kinda gotta talk to Kurt?" I said weakly, regretting the call already. Then a question popped into my head. "Hey… are, um, are you wearing your shades?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"Like, right now? At three in the morning?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, thanks."

I waited and listened to Scott trying to wake up Kurt. "Dude." "Mmmph." "Hey." "Mmmrumblr." "Wake up." "Grrrowl." "Phone for you, nighty." "Who? Phone? Three AM?" "Phone for you." "Okay… um, hello?"

"Hi, Kurt. This is Alaya Robbins? Sorry for calling so early, but I really have to talk to you. Is Scott gone?"

"Are you kidding? He probably fell asleep in the hallway."

"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for hurting you at lunch yesterday and areyouafreakcuzimafreakcanyouhelpmehehe!!!"

"Um… what?"

"S-sorry. I think something's wrong with me and you're like the only one I could think of to talk to."

"I think I'm starting to wake up. Listen, why don't we talk about this tomorrow at school? How's that?"

"Okay, sure." I said softly. "Um… I'm sorry about waking you up. And weirding you out."

"Ohh, trust me, you did not weird me out at all. If I haven't seen it all at this point, I never will."


	4. Choosing Sides

**X-Men "THEIF": Part Four, Choosing Sides**

At lunch, I sat at my usual spot, and Kurt came to sit across from me.

"So," He said brightly. "Tell me what's up."

"Okay. This started on the Tuesday that Principal Kelly came. You remember. I went up to the top of the stands and bumped into this red haired girl. I think you hang out with her."

"Jean?" He asked, pointing to her at his usual spot.

"Yeah. So, after a few minutes I started to… hear _things_ in my head. Like…_ voices_, I guess. My nose started to bleed, and… _what_?" His eyes had been getting wider and wider and were now the size of saucers.

"You didn't… um… you didn't get anything from _me_, did you?" He asked nervously, looking really worried.

"I think I might've gotten a dream. Everyone in my dream last night were speaking German. You're German, right?"

Kurt seemed to get pale. "So… you know?" His voice cracked severely at the end of his sentence, causing me to wince.

"Know what?"

He seemed to relax and he closed his eyes. "Whew. Okay, so, back to _your_ problem."

I blinked at him in confusion, then went on with my story. "Okay, so I left the auditorium."

"Before or after the scoreboard incident?"

"Um, before. So later on, I bump into her again, this time on my way to the bathroom. So I look in the mirror, and _this_ had happened to my hair." I pointed out the silver streak to emphasize. "And all evening I couldn't figure out if I was me… or Jean."

He stared at me for a minute or so, seeming to be trying to take it all in. He put a hand to the top of his head and started, "Well…"

Then Lance showed up, coming out of nowhere and shoving Kurt into the next chair over. "Move it, Blue Boy," he growled as he sat down. "Go sit with your own friends."

I glared at Lance and folded my arms. "I'm _talking_ to him, Lance. You can see this event taking place."

"No, it's okay," said Kurt quietly. "See you later, Alaya. We can talk after school."

"Yeah. Um, no! I can't." I shook my head, suddenly remembering. "I'm grounded. I have to go strait home after school."

"Then I'll walk you." He walked toward his usual table, waving as he went. Lance looked dumbfounded.

"You hanging with those freaks now?" Lance said harshly. "They're no good, Lai. I told you that."

"They're perfectly fine!" I shouted back. "At least, Kurt is."

"So you can talk to him, but you can't talk to me, is that it?" Now he looked a bit hurt. "You can tell him what's wrong, but not your best friend. I see." He started to get up. "You know what? Fine. He can be your friend, and I can go back to hanging out with the guys. That's cool with me."

"You're one to talk!" I said. "Hanging around with that Kitty Pryde!"

"I don't 'hang around' with Kitty Pryde!" Lance sat back down, ready to argue for the lunch hour. "She's cute and all, but I hate her, just like the rest of them!"

"You hate her?" I snarled. "Tell her that. See how far you get in getting her to ask you to the Sadie Hawkins dance."

He looked shocked. Mouth hanging open, he slowly began to ask a question. "How… how did you…?"

"Best friends forever, Lance," I said softly. "I can see right through you. I keep wondering why you can't understand that."

He gawked at me as I continued eating calmly, trying to shake him. I was really mad at him now, more than I had ever been, even more upset than I had been the day he told me he hated me and my stupid pigtails when we were eight years old. I cried for months and never wore pigtails again. I just wanted him to figure out what was wrong with me the way I always seemed to know what was wrong with him.

"Oh my god," Lance said.

I brightened. Had he figured it out?

"Do… do you love me or something?"

I stared at him for what seemed like a full minute. I was completely dumbfounded. Could he really not understand me at all? Couldn't he just get what my problem was, like I could?

Then I started to laugh loudly. I laughed so hard my sides started to hurt. I doubled over in my seat, squinting at Lance's confused face through tearful eyes. Of course he didn't know what was wrong with me! How could he? No one could. I, the freak, expected a completely normal guy to understand?

"Um…" He began. "Was I wrong?"

I nodded, unable to speak through my laughs.

"Oh, good," He said, smiling. "Because… that would've been weird."

I nodded again, wiping my eyes and struggling to breathe.

"Were you laughing at me?"

"No," I said. "No, I was laughing at myself. I'm so sorry, Lance. I was being dumb."

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong now?"

I took a deep breath. "Ooookay. Here we go. Bear with me, this is gonna sound really, really weird."

He nodded and waved his hand, encouraging me to go on. The words seemed to be caught in my throat, and I closed my eyes and swallowed. "There is something wrong with me," I began. "Like really wrong. I can hear other people's thoughts sometimes, but only when I get near certain people." I glanced at Jean, laughing at something Kurt was saying with enthusiastic hand gestures. "When I was near Kurt, I… I think I took his nightmares. My eyes changed color when this started, and this streak in my hair showed up, but the changing eyes went away and the streak didn't. I just don't know what's going on anymore."

I finally opened my eyes to look at him, frightened as to what expression was going to be on his face.

He was smiling.

"Wha—Lance, you have to believe me! I'm telling the truth!"

He began to shake his head, and he was still smiling.

"Don't… don't you believe me?" I whispered. My voice shook. "Don't you understand?"

He reached across the table and took my hand. "I understand you, Alaya." He said. "I believe you."

It was my turn to gawk. "W-what?" I expected him to laugh, or scream and run, anything but hold my hand and smile like he knew what I was talking about, like everything was okay, completely normal. I yanked my hand away, flinching. "You can't be serious! I'm a freak, Lance! I'm a monster! How can you just sit there and… and…"

He just sat there and smiled.

"Oh," I said quietly. "You're… you're a freak, too… aren't you?"

He nodded, still smiling.

"And Kurt?"

"Yup."

"Scott? Jean?"

"Yeah, them too."

A horrible thought hit me and I froze up again. "W-what about Pietro?"

"A super monster," He said, grinning.

"Oh…" I sighed. "So, can you all do… what I do?"

"No." He shook his head. "No, not what you can do. Every one of us is different. I cause earthquakes, Pete's annoyingly fast, and Fred's really strong and pretty much unmovable. To tell you the truth, your powers sound like Rogue's. Did you touch Jean or Kurt?"

"No," I said. "Not really. I was just close to them."

"Alright, so your powers work at a distance. Pretty sweet."

"Pretty SWEET?" I glowered menacingly. "This is a NIGHTMARE. I officially hate my life. Is there an official term for the kind of freak that I am so that I can officially hate it?"

"Well, 'officially', you are a Mutant."

"A what?"

"A mutant is someone, a human, who is born… not human. They have this extra X gene running around in their bodies that causes mutant powers to form. So, you aren't human exactly." Lance smiled. "You're better. You are the next top of the food chain, just like me and Pietro and Toad. And someday, we're going to rule the world."

"Rule the world?" I asked incredulously. "Rule the world? What if I don't want to RULE the world? What if I just want to live in it like a normal person who doesn't have to worry about humans and mutants and whether or not my hair is the right frikkin' color? What if I just want to be ME?" As I ended my rant, a I slammed my head down onto the table for extra emphasis.

"Hey, hey, you're still you, Lai," He said softly, patting my head. "You are just… also a mutant."

……………

Kurt, as promised, walked me home and we didn't say anything for a while. Finally I looked at him. "So, I'm a mutant. What does that actually mean for my life?"

"Well…" He started. "You either lay low or pick a side."

"Pick a side? What, is there a war going on that I'm not aware of?" I looked at my feet and sighed. "There are sides now?"

"Yes. There's my side, the X-Men. All of the kids you see me eat lunch with are members of that team. Jean, Scott, Rogue, Kitty, Evan and me. We live in the institute with Professor Xavier, who sort of helps mutant kids for a living or something. He's a mutant, too, along with our other teachers, Mr. Logan and Storm."

"So, are you the good side or the bad side?"

"There are no good or bad sides, only different points of view," Kurt smiled. "I like to think of our side as the good side, but that's not really the case. The side Lance is on fights for a sort of takeover, because mutants are the next stage in evolution and we should inherit the earth right away. My side fights for peace between mutants and humans, so that even if we ARE supposed to inherit the earth, it can happen naturally." He looked around. "Just look at this world and tell me we're supposed to destroy everything that's here!"

"So, Lance's side just wants to help the humans on their way out?"

"Well, it's not Lance's side, it's Magneto's side. And yes, that's exactly what they want to do."

"Kill everybody?"

"I sure like to think that they don't want everyone dead, but… well, yes."

"So who's Magneto, then?"

"Sort of Lance's side's Professor Xavier. He's the leader of that cause. I don't really think he's bad, but maybe he's been… hurt, like really badly, and he can't help but hate humans." Kurt stopped walking and turned to look at me. "I think I would have turned out that way if the Professor hadn't taken me in."

"What do you mean? You look normal, I mean, I wouldn't even know you were a mutant." I flipped the white portion of my hair out of my eyes. "With me, there's a sign. But you and Lance and, well, a lot of you don't even look…"

"Come here for a second," He said in a pained voice, slipping into an alley. I followed, a bit nervously, hoping I wasn't about to be jumped. He looked out to see if anyone was passing by, then he started fiddling with his watch.

"What are you… doing?" I asked slowly as he looked at the floor and wrung his hands for a minute. "Are you okay?"

"Okay. You have to promise three things," He said. "One, don't scream. Two, don't run. And three… well, try your best not to hate me." He pressed a small button and I tried my hardest not to shriek as I took a few steps back. He was certainly not normal-looking. As a matter of fact, he was downright scary, but he looked up with yellow eyes and I knew he was good. I could just feel the sadness of him, and the joy, all rolled into a big blue furry mess. It was like he was an emotional projector. For some reason I suddenly wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

"Well." I said quietly. "You certainly look… different."

"Yeah…"

"Oh! Oh my God, THAT'S why they call you Blue Boy!" I held up my head and smiled brightly, seeming to put him at ease. At least he stopped slouching so much. "I could never figure out… oh, gosh. Oh, I'm sorry."

"What?"

"Those… those nightmares, you… I'm sorry."

"Why, that is comforting." He glowered at his hand. "Thank you for your sudden insight on the insides of my head. Like THAT doesn't happen often enough…"

"Sorry, I can't really help what I see," I said softly, putting a hand on his face. "But I'll tell you right now, I think you are a wonderful person and I don't care what you look like. Um… wow."

"Now what?"

"You are really, really soft. Like, really soft. Wow, you're like a shirt that's been softened with snuggles in the dryer of softness." I giggled. "Wow."

Kurt let out a sarcastic sounding laugh and took my wrist. "That's quite enough petting for now, thank you very much. I'd better get you home."

………………

Lying in my room and thinking about the day's events, I suddenly started to question which side I should choose. I began to go over the options. I could join Kurt's side, the seemingly good side of goodness and peace, but, I could join Lance's side, with my best friend and Pietro. Maybe choosing a side based on who my friends are wasn't a very moral thing to do, but… God, was it hard not to. If I joined the X-Men, and Lance found out, he would totally hate me forever. And forget ever dating Pietro. But Kurt was so convincing, BUT SO WAS LANCE. I buried my head into my pillow and wanted to cry, but I couldn't.

I woke up at two in the morning to my cell phone ringing. I answered it. "Hello?" I said, already wide awake.

"Hi, Alaya, it's Kurt."

"What are you calling me at two in the morning for?" I asked. "How did you even get my number?"

"You gave this number to Kitty last year because you worked with her on a science lab assignment."

"Oh."

He suddenly laughed. "Besides, I want payback for YOU calling ME at three in the morning. Did I wake you up?"

"No... well, yeah, but it's okay. Oh, and Kurt?"

"Yeah?"

"I think I've chosen a side."


	5. Pietro

Kurt was suddenly in my room, and I dropped my cell phone in surprise as clouds of sulfur wafted into my face. He stood there, grinning at me, while I sat on my bed in pajamas I have had since I was eight years old. Quickly pulling my blankets over me, I hissed at him.  
"Kurt, what the Hell??" I said softly, afraid that my mom could hear.

"So which side?" he said, eager and a little nervous looking.

"Why the Hell are you in my room?"

"Come on," he said, "I don't have all night."

"I could have told you on the phone," I muttered. "It's the X-Men, okay?"

He cheered and I shushed him quickly, looking worriedly at my door. "Sorry," he whispered.  
"This is really the first successful reqruiting I've done. Scott can't hold it over my head anymore."

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "Now will you get out of my room? However you got in here?"

"Sure," He said, waving. "Auf Wiedersehen." The sulfur cloud appeared again and I coughed, covering my head with my pillow. What a weirdo.

O.O

Lance was right behind me when I turned away from my locker. I squealed and dropped my books. "Oh"  
I said. "Lance. You scared me."

"Sorry," he said. "So which side are you on, Lai?"

I groaned in my head. Is that all these guys talked about? "Can we not have this talk right now?"

"Why not?" he said. "It's a simple question. Which side did you choose?"

I shook my head. "Please, Lance. Just leave me alone, okay?" He followed me as I walked down the hallway. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Just answer me." Lance took my arm firmly, turning me around. "Alaya."

I looked into his eyes for only a moment, my own wanting to fill with tears. I held them back, desperately brave against my best friend. "I... I..." I whispered, breath cathcing in my throat.

"You chose the X-Men, didn't you?" he said angrily. "Didn't you, Alaya?"

I nodded weakly, feeling a tear slide down, cooling my warm cheek.

He squeezed my arm and let go, looking upset and infuriated. "How could you?" He yelled. "How could you,  
we're best friends! You can't be on their side!"

"I don't want to rule the world, Lance," I said quietly, looking down. "I just want to live in it."

"You sound just like them," he spat, turning around and storming down the hall as the bell rang.

"Lance," I whispered. "Lance, wait. Come back."

O.O

I spent most of the day dodging Lance and Kurt, not wanting to talk to either of them as Kurt tried to introduce me to his friends every time I turned around and Lance shot me death glares.  
Lance truly hated me, I could see it in his face. Complete disgust. It made me want to scream.  
He was my best friend, a true friend since we were little, and now he hated me. Maybe, I thought,  
maybe I made the wrong decision.

Lunch would have been Hell had I not decided to leave the school. I didn't think I could take sitting alone and out in the open, dodging Kurt and having Lance stare at me. I suddenly had a sickening thought. "Pietro," I whispered to the sidewalk as I shuffled along. He must hate me too.

Just thinking that made the tears start again, hitting my shoes after rolling down my face. They would all hate me, I would never tell Pietro how I felt, not now anyway. Not now that I've screwed up my life for good. Maybe I should go back and tell them I changed my mind.

I jumped as a hand was suddenly on my shoulder, whirling around. Pietro smiled at me, blue eyes flashing and making my heart skip. "Hey," he said. "Where are you running off too?"

"Nowhere," I said. "Away from people."

"Yeah, people are nuts, right?" He sat on the sidewalk and patted the space next to him.

I couldn't stop myself from sitting down next to him, even as my chest was ready to explode.  
"Right," I said softly, avoiding his gaze. "Nuts." I hoped he hadn't heard from Lance what side I was on. Maybe I could play like I was just kidding.

Pietro looked at me curiously. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," I said, giggleing nervously. Why was I such a dork?

"I like your hair," he said, running a finger down the white streak in my brown hair. "It's a good look on you."

I blushed and looked away.

"Don't be like that, Alaya," he said. "Talk to me. What's up?"

Another tear, I thought miserably. I can't believe I'm crying in front of pietro.

"Are you okay?" Pietro took my chin in his hand and turned my face to look at him. I shivered as my eyes were drawn to his so automatically. "Alaya?"

"I am now," I whispered, chest tight and face warm. Something was happening.

He leaned closer. "Really," he said, and I shuddered as he brushed away a tear.

I nodded. He was going to kiss me. Oh my God, I thought. "Pietro," I said weakly.

He pressed his lips to mine, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as I went completely numb in his hold. I can't belive this, I thought. I can't believe he...

Pietro jerked away, groaning and holding his head. "Ow," he said.

"Pietro?" I asked. "Oh man, I'm sorry..."

"It's fine," he said. "It's not your fault."

"You're not mad?"

"No," he smiled at me. "I'm not mad."

"And you still like me?" I was nervous, afraid that he wouldn't be interested if he couldn't kiss me until I learned control.

"Sure," he said. "Come on, we better go back to school."

I stood up with him, smiling. Then I frowned. "Pietro..."

"What?" he looked at me. "What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you... I'm with the X-Men," I said, looking away.

He nodded. "Yeah, Lance told me."

I brightened immediately. "He did??"

"Yeah," he said. "I don't care."

I grinned and followed him as he walked back towards the school. How I wished I could hold his hand. I had to remember to wear gloves from now on.

O.O

"I think it might work," Pietro said to Lance.

"It's wrong and you know it is," Lance growled. "How could you even try to manipulate her like that?"

"I thought you wanted her on our side," Pietro said slyly. He folded his arms. "I can convince her."

"By pretending you like her??"

"Sure," he said. "It'll work. Trust me, okay?"


End file.
